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An assassin, spy and thief, the individual known only as the Monkey Man had a hand in a number of illegal activities throughout Cairo. Usually operating from a position of surveillance from his motorcycle, the Monkey Man reported information back to his employers who included among their number illegal goods traffickers, disreputable businessmen and, on occassion, the Nazis. He was also suspected of assisting a treasure hunter smuggle ancient Egyptian artifacts out of the country.[1]

The Monkey Man and his accomplice were an effective team.

In his work, the Monkey Man used a trained Capuchin to track his targets or retrieve objects, taking advantage of her ability to gain access to the places that he otherwise couldn't.[1] He taught his monkey that if she didn't succeed in her tasks, she wouldn't get to eat.[2]

Around 1936, the Monkey Man and another known denizen of the Cairo underworld, a feared swordsman who far was less interested in keeping to the shadows, were among the locals hired specifically by Germanagents to prevent any interference in the Nazi mission to unearth the lost Ark of the Covenant buried at nearby Tanis.[1]

After Marion's apparent death, Monkey Man followed Jones to the home of an old man whom Sallah believed could decipher the markings of the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra. While the serving boy was away from the kitchen, Monkey Man snuck in and poisoned a bowl of dates in an attempt to kill Indiana. His plot was thwarted, however, when his hungry pet ate from the bowl first, her death revealing the plot to Sallah just in the nick of time.[3]